The chairmen of three powerful House fiscal policy committees last week sent a strong letter to their Republican colleagues urging them to reject a $39.1 billion plan by Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Bud Shuster, R-Pa., to reauthorize the Federal Aviation Administration and the Airport Improvement Program.
House Appropriations Chairman Bill Young, R-Fla., Budget Committee Chairman John Kasich, R-Ohio, and Ways and Means Committee Chairman Bill Archer, R-Texas, argued in no uncertain terms that Shuster's bill, which would exceed the five-year budget resolution adopted this year by $14.3 billion, represents the kind of fiscal irresponsibility the GOP Conference opposes.
They will offer an amendment to the bill, they wrote, which would "protect the caps, maintain fiscal discipline, guard tax cuts and preserve the Social Security surplus as we all just voted to do."
A Shuster spokesman said: "We think it's wrong to take aviation taxes and give them away as part of a general tax cut. The disinformation campaign continues."
On another appropriations front, Office of Management and Budget Director Jacob Lew Thursday notified Senate Appropriations Chairman Ted Stevens, R-Alaska, of several administration concerns with the $35.3 billion Commerce- Justice-State spending bill the panel reported out earlier in the day. Lew said senior White House advisers would recommend Clinton veto the bill in its current form.
But the letter detailed White House objections in fairly measured tones, and expressed the administration's "appreciation" for committee "efforts to accommodate some of the administration's priorities within its 302(b) allocation," before adding that "the inadequacy of the 302(b) allocation has forced ... choices that are simply unacceptable."
Lew particularly singled out the lack of funding for the 21st Century Policing Initiative and what he called "severe reductions" to the State Department request for accounts that fund diplomatic and consular activities and contributions to international organizations and peacekeeping missions.
The White House views the bill as an ill omen as the appropriations debate goes into high gear, an administration official said.
"Republicans need to get to work to produce a budget that meets America's needs," the official said. "If action on the Commerce-Justice-State bill-which kills the COPS [program] and cuts funds for the FBI, the Immigration and Naturalization Service and the Drug Enforcement Agency-is any measure, then right now they are failing to meet that test."
This source also belittled reports that House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., wants to move several billion dollars around to cushion cuts in upcoming bills.
"Even with the additional funds, the Republican budget would fall way short of the mark," the official said.
Administration officials are seeking to characterize the GOP budget as not only damaging but as "unsustainable" - a theme first enunciated in a speech by Lew last month.